Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-06-24
CHILDREN OF NATURE.
Sketches Taken I'm the Camp OF the
Digger Indians.


Few people know that the Diggers.
who live in Pleasant Valley, and are
known as the Pamblos. have a musical
man among them. This Digger is
known as Bob. He is really good per-
former on the guitar flute, fife, violin.
organ, and harmonica He has played
for several 'paleface" dances, and
handles a violin like a master.
He is a pure blooded Digger, and. so
far as he knows, none of his ancestors
were musicallv inclined
The tribe also boasts of having a
centenarian, an old squaw, whose hair
is white as snow, whose daughter is Is
years old, and whose only English
ejaculation is Gimme two bits"
Capt. Pamblos is short. wirv old
fellow. He is about 80 years of age,
and is one of the most inveterate hun
tiers in the country. His unerring aim
has laid down many a jackass rabbit,
and humbled 10 the dust many proud
woodpecker The reason is this I:
Whenever they had a dance, or, as they
call it, "a big soup" they rig them
selves rs Enthusiastically as possible.
Every buck who wishes to dance must
buy ticket paving for it in good solid
American silver
AS a ticket the scalp of the wood
pecker recommends itself. 1t is gaudy
and consp cuous. The tai feathers of
the yellow hammer are also used Tor
the same purpose, two feathers being
fastened to little stick which is worn
in the hair or carried in the hand.
These big soups are frequent A
A Digger viii work hard for a week or
two when the acorns are ripe and lay
in supply of them for winter. Then
he will notify some other tribe, and all
his relations back to the tenth genera
ton will come TO see him and help him
devour the whole lot. Then they invite
the family of the host TO their cam
pooda and so the visiting and big
souping goes on till all the relations
have visited each other and there are
no more acorns to devour.
The Digger is a child of nature, and
he cares little for the fashionable follies
of the world. Some of them are noted
for their wicked ways, and one of the
Pamblos. hard case known as Scar
Face Dick, " or Dick Tomale, has been
a holy terror among his people for
made to kill him and his tribe and the
Nevada City Indians, but all have failed.
He is the most intelligent Digger of
them all, and Will discuss any subject,
not ignoring rel gious matters. But
his fayorite topic is spirltualism. His
arguments are often full of dry, sar-
castle humor. This dry humor is a
part of the average Digger's d sposi-
ton. Capt. Pamblos was once passing
house where a young lady was sing
ing vigorously. He paused and listened.
Then turning to boy who was play
ing near he said. graveiy: "Why for
she ely ?" Dick Tomale once listened
gravely to several young men and
women who were discussing ghosts.
At last he interrupted them. and in his
drawing way said ''Ya-as, believe in
ghosts, too met ghost one night,
i wasn't exactly full, but | had some
wine. 1t was dark, and | saw a big.
white ghost get up out of the ground
and stand in front of me. | hauled off
and hit him with my fist. you bet
Well. sad listener" what was
it ?"
Dick looked around mysteriously,
picked up his rifle, spat a at fly on his
sleeve, and as he moved off with a
light and cunning air, said in a loud
whisper 1T was a rock. "-NeUada
CttV Herdli.